Gas-filled resilient body and use thereof

Abstract

A gas-filled resilient body and uses thereof are described. The gas-filled resilient body may be used as a valve member, as a spring or as a gas-propelled dispenser.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of using a partially gas-filled resilient body, comprising:
 using the partially gas-filled resilient body as a gas-propelled dispenser, 
 wherein the resilient body is filled with gas and a material to be dispensed; and 
 wherein the material is dispensed by piercing the resilient body. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material to be dispensed is a liquid or a particulate material. 
     
     
       3. A rapid-action dispensing device, comprising:
 means for pressurizing a liquid to be dispensed, 
 an outlet opening closed off by a manually operable valve, and
 a resilient body filled with gas only arranged in a buffer housing between the pressurizing means and the outlet so as to buffer the pressurized liquid in a volume defined between the gas-filled resilient body and a wall of the buffer housing by compressing the gas-filled resilient body until the valve is manually opened. 
 
 
     
     
       4. A dispensing device, comprising:
 a housing having an outlet opening, 
 a resilient body partially filled with gas and partially filled with a material to be dispensed, and 
 a piercing member for piercing the resilient body so as to allow the material to be urged out by the gas, 
 wherein the piercing member and the resilient body are movable with respect to each other. 
 
     
     
       5. The dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the piercing member is tubular and extends through the outlet opening. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient body is pierced by moving the resilient body and a piercing member with respect to each other. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein one of:
 the resilient body is held stationary and the piercing member is moved; or 
 the piercing member is held stationary and the resilient body is moved. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the piercing member comprises a hollow needle through which the material is dispensed. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is urged out of the resilient body by the gas, and wherein the material is dispensed until a pressure of the gas is equal to ambient pressure. 
     
     
       10. The rapid-action dispensing device of  claim 3 , wherein the pressurizing means comprise a piston that is slidably received in a chamber filled with the liquid to be dispensed, said chamber being in fluid communication with the buffer housing through an inflow opening. 
     
     
       11. The rapid-action dispensing device of  claim 3 , wherein the outlet opening is arranged in a cap closing off the buffer housing, and wherein the valve includes a valve body arranged in the outlet opening and movable between a position closing off the opening and a position leaving free the opening. 
     
     
       12. The rapid-action dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein the valve body is fixed to the cap by a frangible connection element. 
     
     
       13. The rapid-action dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein the valve body carries a hollow needle. 
     
     
       14. The dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the resilient body is arranged stationary in the housing and the piercing member is inwardly movable with respect to the housing. 
     
     
       15. The dispensing device of  claim 14 , wherein the outlet opening is arranged in a cap closing off the housing, and wherein the outlet opening is closed off by a valve body connected to the cap by a frangible connection element. 
     
     
       16. The dispensing device of  claim 15 , wherein the piercing member comprises a hollow needle carried by the valve body. 
     
     
       17. The dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the piercing member is stationary and the resilient body is movable in the housing towards the piercing member. 
     
     
       18. The dispensing device of  claim 17 , wherein an end wall of the housing is movable in the direction of the outlet opening at an opposite end of the housing. 
     
     
       19. The dispensing device of  claim 14 , wherein the piercing member comprises a hollow needle fixedly arranged in an element which is slidable in the housing, the slidable element being biased to a position of rest away from an interior of the housing by a spring. 
     
     
       20. The dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the housing is an applicator housing connected to one end of the resilient body, the applicator housing tapering from a base which accommodates the end of the resilient body to the outlet opening, wherein a tipped valve biased by a spring closes off the outlet opening.